YouTube Premium | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 02 Nov 2023 10:18:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png YouTube Premium | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 YouTube begins global crackdown on ad-blockers https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/youtube-begins-global-crackdown-on-ad-blockers/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/youtube-begins-global-crackdown-on-ad-blockers/#respond Wed, 01 Nov 2023 14:42:02 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=636096 Despite the wide use of ad-blockers over the years, YouTube has managed to remain very successful, generating billions in advertising revenue. However, it would seem that the company is now clamping down following limited regional tests earlier this year. 

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Despite the wide use of ad-blockers over the years, YouTube has managed to remain very successful, generating billions in advertising revenue. However, it would seem that the company is now clamping down following limited regional tests earlier this year. 

YouTube began cracking down on ad-blocker use earlier this summer, with some users beginning to see a warning, stating that ad-blockers violate the site's terms of service and asking them to disable it before continuing to watch a video. Now, the company has confirmed to The Verge that this new system is rolling out worldwide, pushing users to either view ads, or subscribe to YouTube Premium.

Of course, this comes after a push by YouTube for longer ads, as well as more unskippable ads on certain devices, like Smart TVs. Beyond that, YouTube also raised the price of its Premium subscription service earlier this year too.

Hosting the world's largest video hosting site is obviously not a cheap endeavour, with new users signing up, eating up bandwidth and uploading tons of data per day. However, given the prevalence of ad-blockers across the web, it will be interesting to see if this pushes users towards potential alternatives.

A YouTube Premium subscription does not come cheap, currently sitting at £16.99 per month in the UK. This also includes YouTube Music, but personally, I would like to see a cheaper option with YouTube Music removed. I've been using Spotify since the late 2000s and have very little desire to change, but at the same time, YouTube's ads can be unbearable at times, both due to length, the number of breaks in longer videos and the increased amount of unskippable ads.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have you begun seeing the ad-blocker warning on YouTube yet? We understand that ad-blockers can be important for avoiding spam but we do hope that you whitelist sites you want to support, like ours. We encourage you all to check out our open letter to the community on this topic. As an independent site, we value being able to bring honest coverage, reviews and buying advice to readers 

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YouTube Premium subscribers can currently claim a free Chromecast Ultra and Stadia controller https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/youtube-premium-subscribers-can-currently-claim-a-free-chromecast-ultra-and-stadia-controller/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/youtube-premium-subscribers-can-currently-claim-a-free-chromecast-ultra-and-stadia-controller/#respond Tue, 10 Nov 2020 17:30:23 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=493529 If you still have a mild interest in Google Stadia, or simply want to nab yourself a free Chromecast, then you may be in luck. This month, Google has begun giving away Stadia Premiere bundles for free to existing YouTube Premium subscribers.  If you are subscribed to YouTube Premium and living in an eligible region, …

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If you still have a mild interest in Google Stadia, or simply want to nab yourself a free Chromecast, then you may be in luck. This month, Google has begun giving away Stadia Premiere bundles for free to existing YouTube Premium subscribers. 

If you are subscribed to YouTube Premium and living in an eligible region, then you can currently claim a free Stadia Premiere Edition, which comes with a Chromecast Ultra and the Stadia controller. This also works for those who previously subscribed to Google Play Music and have since transitioned to YouTube Music due to Google Play Music shutting down.

Typically, a Stadia Premiere Edition will cost you £89.99, which is discounted from the £119.99 it cost this time last year. The Chromecast Ultra is of course capable of far more than just streaming Stadia games, so it might be worth grabbing even if you have no interest in the cloud gaming side of things.

Here in the UK, I was able to claim my own unit within 10 minutes. The giveaway is also open in the US, but if you are outside of those regions, you may need to double check the T&Cs. If you're interested, you can head HERE to start the process.

KitGuru Says: Free is free, so there's nothing really to complain about here. It is interesting to see Google making another push to boost Stadia by giving away hardware for free. Are any of you planning on claiming this freebie? 

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YouTube reportedly taking a step back from original series to refocus on ad revenue https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/youtube-reportedly-taking-a-step-back-from-original-series-to-refocus-on-ad-revenue/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/youtube-reportedly-taking-a-step-back-from-original-series-to-refocus-on-ad-revenue/#respond Mon, 25 Mar 2019 15:11:40 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=407964 Over the last few years, YouTube has been attempting to transition into a subscription service with its own original programming. The goal seemed to be to compete with Netflix, Amazon Prime video and others. Now on the eve of Apple's own TV service launch, YouTube appears to be taking a step back. According to sources …

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Over the last few years, YouTube has been attempting to transition into a subscription service with its own original programming. The goal seemed to be to compete with Netflix, Amazon Prime video and others. Now on the eve of Apple's own TV service launch, YouTube appears to be taking a step back.

According to sources speaking with Bloomberg, YouTube is ‘bowing out' of the race against Netflix and Amazon. Plans for high-end original series are being cancelled, with two programs ‘Origin' and ‘Overthinking with Kat & June' already being axed. Apparently, shows that have already been produced will eventually be viewable for free and supported by advertisements.

At this point in time, giants like Netflix, Amazon and Apple are investing billions in original programming. Google apparently is not keen on matching that and will refocus on advertising revenue over subscriptions.

YouTube Premium will continue to be available despite these changes, which provides ad-free viewing, offline viewing and other benefits.

KitGuru Says: YouTube's plan to produce original content never made much sense to me, especially as there are tons of dedicated YouTube channels that produce their own content for millions of viewers. YouTube hasn't confirmed any major changes itself yet but it sounds like we'll be seeing a shift in direction this year. 

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YouTube set to diversify original content across Europe and Asia https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/youtube-set-to-diversify-original-content-across-europe-and-asia/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/youtube-set-to-diversify-original-content-across-europe-and-asia/#respond Wed, 01 Aug 2018 14:29:37 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=381710 YouTube has been struggling to get its paid original content off the ground since 2016, with stiff competition from other premium video services such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. In an attempt to boost its paying subscribers, the folks over at YouTube will be targeting less saturate markets in the future, bringing content to international …

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YouTube has been struggling to get its paid original content off the ground since 2016, with stiff competition from other premium video services such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. In an attempt to boost its paying subscribers, the folks over at YouTube will be targeting less saturate markets in the future, bringing content to international markets such as Japan, France, India, Germany, Mexico and beyond.

Susanne Daniels, YouTube’s global head of original programming, revealed in an interview with Reuters that the platform already has a number of music shows, documentaries, scripted shows, reality shows, and talk shows in the works across the selected countries, all produced in their local language. There are currently no plans for children’s programming, however, despite YouTube’s efforts in the US earning it an Emmy for “Fruit Ninja Frenzy Force.”

YouTube isn’t alone with its efforts to diversity content, as both Netflix and Amazon have invested a significant amount in penetrating international markets. Specifics of the upcoming titles are set to be unveiled in the coming weeks, however it seems that YouTube will offer some of its original content for free even if the majority will be behind its YouTube Premium paywall.

“We are targeting markets where we believe we have a tremendous upside in potential subscribers,” said Daniels. YouTube has already done its research, releasing a selection of successful original shows in South Korea and a single Hindi show based around cricket in India. The Gathering Begins, a K-Pop reality show actually managed to find an international audience beyond just South Korea, according to the company.

KitGuru Says: While the majority of this content will be inaccessible to someone speaking the one language, it’s good to see YouTube finally diversifying its content. Hopefully this will have a knock-on effect in the quality of Western series as talent is sure to cross the borders on occasion. What do you think about YouTube’s plans to bolster its paying subscribers?

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